Online: The Neo-Nazi march is over, police took harsh action only against the anti-fascists

Ústí nad Labem, 21.4.2009 11:01, (ROMEA)

Neo-Nazis and neo-fascists from the grouping around the
Autonomous Nationalists, National Resistance and the Workers' Party marched
thorugh Ústí nad Labem under the leadership of WP vice-chair Petr Kotáb and
Filip Vávra, a leading representative of the National Resistance organization.
Neo-Nazis from the WP went to the nearby town of Krupka in the afternoon to
provoke the Roma there as well. Romea.cz followed the neo-Nazi provocation all
day online.

ONLINE BROADCAST

22:57
The web server Romea.cz is ending its online reporting on the neo-Nazi
march in Ústí nad
Labem. We thank all our co-workers who were directly on the spot
risking their safety.
We also thank all of the (well-behaved) readers who visited Romea.cz.
We apologize for some grammatical errors or imprecise usages, the
situation was very tense and difficult to get solid information
about at times. We will bring you more information in future
articles. KEEP TUNED TO THIS SERVER FOR NEWS!

22:55The neo-Nazis are dispersing, the event is over. Only half of
them returned to Lidické náměstí. Police will be on duty in the
streets all night.

22:43Minister Michael Kocáb is back among the Roma in Předlice.

22:42Romea.cz correspondents are driving alongside a group of about
150 neo-Nazis who are now heading towards the train station without
police escort.

22:33Another critical moment in the neo-Nazi action: At this point
in the incident in Přerov a few weeks ago, the neo-Nazis attacked
the police after the demonstration was officially over. In Ústí nad
Labem, police have surrounded the Maha restaurant, where the neo-Nazis'
opponents are concentrated. The police are also keeping several
journalists, including our correspondents, inside and have refused
to let them out!

22:28The march is over, the neo-Nazis are back on Lidické náměstí.

22:23The neo-Nazi march is coming to an end and returning to Lidické
náměstí.

22:13The neo-Nazis are being led by Workers' Party vice-chair Petr
Kotáb together with Filip Vávra, a
leading representative of the National Resistance group.

22:00The Nazis have passed through the "alley of shame", created by
people from the initiative "We don't want Nazis in Ústí". The alley
is created by photos of people turning their backs on the Nazis.

21:51According to our correspondents, the police intervention against
the anti-fascists was quite callous. The neo-Nazis are marching on
unmolested. Several of those opposing the neo-Nazis were injured
during the police intervention. "The anti-fascists have suffered
light injuries from the police firecrackers, and according to the
owner of the Maha restaurant, the police intervened against them for
no reason at all," our correspondent says. The anti-fascists are now
chanting slogans such as "We don't want Nazis in Ústí!" They are
also yelling "Gestapo, Gestapo!" at the police. The situation is
quite tumultuous.

21:39The neo-Nazis have not encountered their opponents, whom the
police have pushed away from the route for the march, using water
cannon against the anti-fascists so the Nazis can continue on their
way! Some anti-fascists have been detained.

21:34Police are intervening against the neo-Nazis' opponents using
fireworks, the situation is becoming difficult to follow.

21:29The neo-Nazis are approaching a critical place whether their
opponents have gathered. Whistling and explosions can be heard.
There are many more neo-Nazis, around 300, while there are
approximately 200 radical resisters against them. Riot police are on
guard.

21:16To the sound of drums, and with candles in their hands, the
neo-Nazis are walking through the streets of Ústí nad Labem as the
police clear the way for them, allowing no one to come near them.
"The police have taken away the sticks the neo-Nazis were using for
their flags. There are a lot of police officers," our correspondent
says.

21:10The speeches are over. The neo-Nazis are lining up for the
march. One small group is holding a German flag from 1933 - 35.

21:07Among the neo-Nazis is Jiří Švehlík,
a member of National Resistance and the Workers' Party, who convened
the neo-Nazi march in Přerov, in Moravia, a few weeks
ago.

21:04The neo-Nazis continue to speak. Berčík says Winston Churchill
was a war criminal.

20:58Police have begun pushing those opposed to the neo-Nazis away
from the route of the march. The situation is difficult to
follow. Our correspondent reports the police
are surrounding the anti-fascists.

20:53Neo-Nazis are photographing the faces of journalists as the
speakers rail against the democratic order and call the Americans
"brutes in their cockpits".

20:42A
woman from the village of Lidice who survived the extermination
there only to spend three years in a concentration camp says: "These
neo-Nazis are idiots, don't they realize that the regime they are
celebrating planned the same fate for them, as members of an
inferior nation, that they are now planning for their opponents? The
Nazis held similar marches during the 1930s and we all know how that
ended. I am saddened by this."

20:37Opponents of the neo-Nazis on Masarykova třída are determined to
block the neo-Nazi march. "The police are negotiating with them now,
but they have not yet convinced the anti-fascists to get out of the
way," our correspondent reports.

20:34According to our correspondent, the situation during the march
will be very dangerous, some parts of the route are completely
unlit.

20:24A German neo-Nazi, assisted by Czech neo-Nazis from the Workers'
Party, National Resistance and the Autonomous Nationalists,
is speaking on Lidické náměstí beneath a
billboard of the children from Lidice who died in the Nazi gas
chambers. The neo-Nazis responded to the speech in
German with thunderous applause, while their response to Adam
Berčík's speech was lukewarm. The German speech was reminiscent of
the diction of Adolf Hitler's speeches.

20:19Jiří Bunda of Kladno is among those in attendance; he organized
last year's neo-Nazi pogrom against the Roma in Janov.

20:07The Nazis have forbidden their members to smoke, yell slogans or
drink alcohol during the march. The neo-Nazi provocation is
beginning.

20:03A bus with 50 neo-Nazis from Germany has arrived in Ústí nad
Labem.

19:52Among the neo-Nazis on Lidické
náměstí our correspondent sees Workers' Party
vice-chair Petr Kotáb; one of the leading representatives of
National Resistance, Filip Vávra; and Martin
Frank, recently convicted of the crime of supporting and promoting a
movement aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms.

19:49Minister Michael Kocáb is still in Ústí nad Labem, he entered
the town hall with a hood on.

19:44Police have detained a neo-Nazi with a backpack full of
explosives. The neo-Nazis are still waiting for two buses of
hardcore Nazis on Lidické náměstí.

19:27The neo-Nazis are having technical difficluties.
Adam Berčík, a 20-year-old waiter and Workers'
Party member, has asked his fellow-travelers for patience.
The neo-Nazis are gathering beneath a large billboard
depicting a statue of the children of Lidice who were gassed by the
Nazis.

19:21A group of neo-Nazis has attempted to attack the Roma in
Předlice. The Roma wanted to defend themselves, but fortunately no
conflict occurred, although it was not definitively prevented until
the police arrived. There are around 200
Roma in the streets of Předlice whom the police are trying to get
back inside their houses. The Roma are refusing to go indoors,
saying they want to prevent the neo-Nazis from carrying out their
attacks, according to our correspondent.

19:12The Prima television station has recorded somene giving the Nazi
salute at the train station in Ústí nad Labem.

19:11According to our information, the neo-Nazi march will start at
20:00. There are a total of 1 250 police on the streets, of whom 750
are riot police. The police are expecting about 500 neo-Nazis from
Bohemia and 100 from Germany and will not permit them to deviate
from the planned route.

19:00Our correspondent says there are 300 neo-Nazis at the most on
Lidické náměstí. Czech Television estimates the number to be 200.

18:46About 200 opponents of the neo-Nazis have gathered on Masarykova
třída. They have banners and are waiting for the neo-Nazis, who are
supposed to march past them. One banner reads: "Do you want a white
Bohemia? Wait for the snow!" and another: "Against fascism by all
possible means."

18:38Lidické náměstí is filling with neo-Nazis. One hundred have
arrived from Germany, several hundred are from the Czech Republic.
The march should start in approximately 20 minutes. There will be a
critical moment at the end of the march; the police are concerned
that the neo-Nazis might attack them then, as they did in Přerov a
few weeks ago.

18:32The leader of the security operation in Ústí nad Labem, Oldřich
Zeman, told journalists that they are informed that approximately
500 Czech neo-Nazis are on the way to Ústí nad Labem. The police
have been informed by their German colleagues that about 100 German
neo-Nazis are heading to Ústí by car. Another 30 have just gotten
off of the train from Dresden. Police took black banners away from
two of them, since they were mounted on sticks, which are banned.
According to police, there should not be any fighting during the
march. "We expecting that to occur once it is over, mainly in the
area of the main train station and Mírové náměstí," Zeman said at a
press conference.

18:27The neo-Nazis from the Workers' Party who were provoking the
Roma in Krupka in the afternoon are on the square.

18:19Gangs
of neo-Nazis are on the move in Ústí nad Labem. According to the web
server TÝDEN.CZ,
the Nazis have attacked a small group of Roma near Masarykova třída.
Now they are trying to get into an apartment house where Roma live.

18:19The
situation in Ústí nad Labem, Krupka, Trmice and Předlice is being
monitored by about 30 members of the informal Gypsy Radical group.

17:51Minister Michael Kocáb has arrived among the Roma in Předlice.

17:48Another
rumor about armed Roma refuted. There is total calm in Trmice.
"There is a 30-member unarmed Roma patrol here," our correspondent
reports.

17:45Lidické náměstí is hermetically sealed, the police are only
letting neo-Nazis in, journalists are having a problem getting there
and opponents of the neo-Nazis are not permitted there.

17:41Minister for Human Rights and
Minorities Michael Kocáb and Lejla Abbasova have walked through the
center of Ústí nad Labem.

17:40The organizers of the neo-Nazi event are already on Lidické
náměstí. Adam Berčík, a Workers' Party
member and convener of other marches, is there.

17:37 According to the Mediafax agency, a minibus with 25 neo-Nazis is
heading for the Czech Republic. Police from Saxony are accompanying
the bus.

17:34The center of Ústí nad Labem is completely crippled, vehicles
are unable to get around and public transit has shut down. Once
again, the neo-Nazis are costing the taxpayers several million
crowns.

17:30In Přerov, people are protesting against neo-Nazi militants
marching through Czech towns. "These neo-Nazi marches are a
desperate warning sign. They must be nipped in the bud, because
otherwise a situation will explode that not even the police will be
able to handle. I have never attended an event similar to this one
today, but I believe these excesses will be halted and things will
head in the right direction," local priest
František Lízna told ČTK.

17:04Workers' Party members have left Krupka, police officers are
waiting for them at the train station in Ústí nad Labem.

16:53The
information that the Roma in Predlice are armed is not true. Our
correspondent is there. "There are about 100 Roma here, but they are
unarmed, the situation is calm," he says. The neo-Nazis and their
followers are providing disinformation to the media.

16:46According to unconfirmed information, the Roma in the
neighborhoods of Předlice and Trmice are prepared to defend
themselves should the neo-Nazis attack. They are armed with sticks
and poles.

16:44No neo-Nazis from Germany have arrived in Ústí nad Labem by
train so far. The next train from Dresden will arrive after 18:00.

16:35Members of the Workers' Party are heading back to the train
station. It is not clear whether they will get on the train and go
to Ústí nad Labem or whether their action in Krupka is over.

16:29Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Michael Kocáb has gone
to Ústí nad Labem. The neo-Naizs are meeting in a gambling
establishment there and starting to move onto Lidické náměstí in
small groups. The square is surrounded by police. Opponents of the
neo-Nazis have gathered in a restaurant, there are approximately 100
of them with banners.

16:10In Ústí nad Labem the police are preparing for the evening march
of neo-Nazis from all over Europe. Mounted police are also on the
spot, a Romea.cz reader reports.

16:09Police have forbidden the neo-Nazis from the Workers' Party to
walk through the housing estate where the Roma live. Some local
people have joined the neo-Nazis.

15:53Workers' Party vice-chair Petr Kotáb is negotiating a march
through the Roma housing estate with police. More than 100 Roma have
gathered there. Other Roma are arriving in Krupka, but the police
are preventing them from joining the locals. "About 60 Roma have
remained behind the police barricade, there are about 100 neo-Nazis
here," our correspondent says. The Roma are also trying to pacify
some Antifa promoters who are causing minor problems.

15:44Speeches by the Workers' Party are continuing. The police are
separating the protesting Roma from the neo-Nazis who are provoking
them.

15:25The Roma in Krupka have built a barricade out of garbage cans.
According to our correspondent they are afraid the neo-Nazis will
attack. Our correspondent did not confirm the information reported
on Tn.cz that the opponents of the neo-Nazis are drunk and smoking
marijuana.

15:18More than 100 Roma are protesting against the Workers' Party in
Krupka. Some non-Roma are also taking a stand against the neo-Nazis.

15:13The Workers' Party gathering in Krupka has started, WP
vice-chair Petr Kotáb started by making offensive statements about
Minister Michael Kocáb. The Roma and other opponents of the
neo-Nazis respond by whistling and shouting their disagreement.

15:07In Krupka there are already almost 100 police officers. Some of
the neo-Nazis from the Workers' Party are trying to get into the
housing estate where the Roma live. The police have stopped them and
arrested one demonstrator, according to the web server iDNES.cz.

15:00The opponents of the neo-Nazis have started arriving in Ustí nad
Labem. They are gathering in several restaurants.

14:45Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Michael Kocáb is in
Krupka.

14:43According to our information, the claims by the web server Tn.cz
that the Roma and anarchists have attacked the neo-Nazis are untrue.
Our correspondent is on the spot and says those reports are
ridiculous. "The situation is calm. There are riot police monitoring
the situation, but no conflict has occurred," she says, confirming
that there are non-Roma opponents of the neo-Nazis there.

14:42Lubomír Zaorálek of ČSSD said at a press conference that it is
unacceptable for neo-Nazis to be marching through Czech towns. "The
neo-Nazis are a serious threat," he said.

14:32About 60 Roma from Janov are heading to the Workers' Party
gathering in Krupka.

14:27Respectable inhabitants of Ústí nad Labem are fed up with the
neo-Nazis and believe the police should break up this provocation. "This
is unbelievably vulgar. I do not understand why they picked Ústí. No
one invited them here. They have the nerve to meet on Lidické
náměstí [a square named after the village of Lidice, destroyed by
the Nazis - Translator] and to invite their German counterparts.
Their role models burned Lidice to the ground," an older woman named
Marie told the web server Aktuálně.cz.

14:16Neo-Nazis from the Workers' Party are marching through Krupka,
police are trying to prevent conflict between them and the Roma.

14:10Minister for Human Rights and
Minorities Michael Kocáb is heading to Krupka, as
confirmed to Romea.cz by his spokesperson and advisor, Lejla
Abbasová.

14:00Police in Ústí nad Labem are on the alert; the next train from
Germany arrives in 15 minutes.

13:53In Krupka about 60 Roma have taken a stand against the Workers'
Party provocateurs. Riot police are separating the two camps. A
helicopter is flying over Krupka and the situation is very tense.
The Roma claim that while they do not want conflict, they will not
hide from the neo-Nazis.

13:41According to the server Tn.cz, the Roma are trying to take a
stand against the provocation by the Workers' Party neo-Nazis.

13:38In Ustí nad Labem vehicles full of neo-Nazis are starting to
turn up. Some neo-Nazis were seen on the outskirts of town buying
food at a supermarket. Nothing can be purchased in the center of
town, everything is shut. Some restaurants have remained open in
protest at the neo-Nazis and have announced that no Nazis will be
welcome there. One ice cream parlor has also stayed open.

13:26The
information broadcast by Czech Television has proven to be
incorrect. About 35 Workers' Party members have arrived in Krupka;
the police searched them and found knives and brass knuckles. Two
people were arrested for causing a public disturbance. Ilona Novotná,
spokesperson for the
Teplice police, refused to clarify for the web server Romea.cz
whether these were promoters or members of the Workers' Party. She
would only say that they were people from Krupka. No conflict
between the Roma and the neo-Nazis has occurred.

13:00Czech
Television reports a conflict has occurred between the Roma and
neo-Nazis from the Workers' Party in Krupka. Police are allegedly
intervening on the spot. We will confirm this information.

12:45The police have confiscated sticks, knives and machetes during
their searches of the automobiles.

12:00Police officers are gathering at the ice-skating rink in
Ústí. The most recent information
is that up to 1 000 neo-Nazis from all over Europe are expected.
Ústí has transformed itself into a ghost town, there is almost no
one on the streets.

11:41Roma in the Ústí neighborhoods of
Trmice and Předlice will be on patrol in front of their
homes. They are concerned the neo-Nazis will attack.

10:50A police helicopter is flying over Ústí nad Labem.

10:13The neo-Nazis have announced that instead of torches they will
carry candles this evening. "No reasonable person believes those
candles are proof of some sort of reverence for the war victims. In
reality, they are candles for the birthday cake of the war criminal
and murderer of Lidice, Adolf Hitler. They are spitting in the faces
of the dead men, women and children of Lidice,"
Václav Houfek, secretary of research at the
Museum of the Town of Ústí nad Labem, told Deník.cz .

Photo: Museum of the Town of Ústí nad Labem

9:50For the time being there is calm in Ústí nad Labem, even though
two of the scheduled events were announced to have begun at 8:00 AM.
Jarmila Hrubešová, spokeswoman for the
North Bohemian Police, told ČTK that the police
officers who have the task of maintaining order in the town are in
place. They are monitoring the access roads into Ústí nad Labem and
the train and bus stations.

8:30Police officers are searching various spots around the town
hall, including shrubbery, for dangerous objects which the neo-Nazis
might use as weapons.

8:15The center of town is almost entirely depopulated due to the
neo-Nazis. Almost no cars are parked there, all the shops are
closed, some have their windows boarded up with wood or cardboard.
Some owners are installing shutters right now.

8:00A yellow tape with photographs of
people turning their backs on the neo-Nazis has appeared along the
route of the march towards the center of town. It was hung here
overnight by the initiative "We don't want neo-Nazis in Ústí".

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